We reported back in April that the new-generation Beetle droptop will launch this fall at the Los Angeles auto show, and we’ve now learned that VW plans to launch the car with at least three special-edition models.
Sources in Europe confirm that the special convertibles will play up themes from the Beetle’s long history, and we have good reason to believe that they will revolve around the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. A few weeks ago, Volkswagen filed trademark applications in Europe for those terms, as well as “Fifties,” “Sixties,” and “Seventies.” (Of course, we knew something was coming; VW has a history of creating special launch editions. Recently, the company pushed the Beetle Turbo coupe out the door with a special blacked-out model, and it released its tiny, not-for-us Up! with Black and White editions.)

We’re told to expect the cars to have decade-specific wheels and seat upholstery, be painted in period colors, and roll on whitewall rubber where appropriate. They will be sold in both Europe and the U.S., although whether they’ll be offered with the regular convertible’s full lineup of powertrain options—including a diesel/manual combo—is unknown.

Volkswagen doesn’t want these Beetles to be considered “retro,” instead preferring to think of the cars as “authentic recreations.” Whatever. They’re current models with throwback elements, and that’s retro in our book. Either way, they sound like they have the potential to be damn cool—or at least cooler than, say, a triple-white edition.